1. نِعال كِنْبايةَ والعنبرُ

    ومِسْك دارِينكُمُ الأذفرُ

    The sandals of Kinbaya, and ambergris,

    and your strong-scented musk of Darin,

  2. ومَندل الهند الذي يُرتَضَى

    يُقسَم في الناس ولا نُذكرُ

    and India's prized aloeswood,

    are shared among the people, while we go unmentioned.

  3. يا مانعينا من هداياكُمُ

    ثناؤنا من عطركم أعطر

    O you who withhold your gifts from us,

    our praise is more fragrant than your perfume.

  4. ثناؤنا يبقى ويطوي الفلا

    طيّاً فلا يُثنَى ولا يُقصر

    Our praise endures and folds up the desert wastes,

    folding them away, neither checked nor cut short.

  5. وعطركمْ تَدرُس آثارهُ

    ويسأم السيرَ ولا يفخر

    And your perfume's traces fade away;

    it tires of travel and does not boast.

  6. أقسمت بالكأس إذا أعملت

    واصطخب المزمار والمِزْهر

    I swear by the winecup when it is put to use,

    and the pipe and lute raise their clamor:

  7. لو جاءنا العود وأتباعه

    وخيرُهن العنبر الأخضر

    if aloeswood and its companions came to us—

    and the best of them is green ambergris—

  8. لقد غدا يُثنى به شعرُنا

    أضعاف ما يثنى به المجمر

    our verse would surely earn praise through it,

    many times the praise the censer earns through it.

  9. أو جاءنا المسك جَزينا به

    ما يصبح المسك به يُهجَر

    Or, if musk came to us, we would give in return

    something for which musk itself would be forsaken.

  10. أو أصبح المنشور من شكرنا

    كأنه من ريحه يُنشر

    Or the gratitude we spread abroad would be

    as though spread by its fragrance.

  11. ولو أتى الكافورُ قلنا يد

    بيضاء كالكافور لا تُكفَر

    And if camphor came, we would say: 'A hand

    white as camphor, whose kindness is not denied.'

  12. أو جاءنا من عندكم مَركبٌ

    أحمر كالشعلة أو أشقر

    Or, if a mount came to us from you,

    red as a flame, or tawny,

  13. نِسْبته يُنسَبها داهِرٌ

    ولونه يُنحَله قيصر

    its lineage is assigned by Dahir,

    and its color bestowed by Caesar.

  14. يُعزَى إلى السند ويعتدُّهُ

    في الروم لون ناصع أحمر

    It is ascribed to Sind, yet it is counted

    among the Romans by a vivid red hue.

  15. مُصَرصِر لكنه صيِّتٌ

    عقارب الدار له تُذعَر

    It is squeaky, yet loud-voiced;

    the scorpions of the house are frightened by it.

  16. فيه على الأعداء مستنجَدٌ

    في ظلمة الليل ومستنصر

    In it there is help against enemies,

    in the darkness of night, and succor.

  17. ما صرّ إلا ولنا نطقُهُ

    بالشكر أو يحسر أو نحسر

    It never squeaks but speaks on our behalf,

    in gratitude, until it tires or we tire.

  18. لا نَخلُ من جملة ألطافكم

    لا يخلُ من شكركُم مَحضر

    Let us not lack a share of your gracious gifts;

    no gathering shall lack our thanks to you.

  19. إنا إذا تاجَرَنا صاحبٌ

    أضحى وما ذُمّ له مَتْجرُ

    Surely, when a friend trades with us,

    he comes away with no reproach upon his bargain.

  20. ما خلت من يُهدي لنا فانياً

    نجزيه عنه باقياً يخسر

    I never thought one who gives us something fleeting,

    whom we repay with something lasting, could lose.

  21. الحمد لله الذي لم تزل

    أنوارهُ ساطعةً تَزهر

    Praise be to God, whose never-ceasing

    lights blaze forth and shine.

  22. حَظي مما عندكم تافهٌ

    وحظكُم من وُدِّيَ الأوفر

    My share of what you have is paltry;

    and your share of my affection is the fullest.

  23. وليس بي قدر هداياكُمُ

    بل بيَ أني صاحب يُحقر

    It is not the value of your gifts that pains me,

    but that I am a friend held in contempt.

  24. رأيتني إذ خنتُمُ حصّتي

    وموضعي من رأيكم أغبر

    I found myself, when you cheated me of my share,

    with my standing in your regard covered in dust.

  25. وفعلكم عنوان آرائكم

    وقد يُبين المخبرَ المنظر

    And your conduct is the index of your opinions;

    and outward appearance may reveal the inner reality.

  26. خذها وإن جدتَ بإسعافنا

    فلا تقل إني لا أشكر

    Take it; and if you generously come to our aid,

    do not say that I give no thanks.

  27. وإن أبى الله ومقدارُهُ

    فلا تقل إني لا أعذر

    And if God and His decree refuse,

    do not say that I make no allowances.

  28. مهما يقدَّر منك في أمرنا

    فالعذر من تلقائنا يُقدَر

    Whatever is decreed by you concerning us,

    an excuse will be devised on our part.

  29. ولو أردنا اللوم أعجزْتَنا

    وهل يُنال القمر الأزهر

    Even if we wished to blame you, you would thwart us;

    can the radiant moon be reached?

  30. ليس سماء الله منحطة

    وإن تدانت حين تستمطر

    God's sky is not brought low,

    though it draws near when asked for rain.

  31. يا من إذا حلّاه إخوانهُ

    حُلِيَّ مدْحٍ حسنهُ يبهر

    O you, when your brethren adorn you

    with ornaments of praise whose beauty dazzles,

  32. فإنما من عندهم نظمهُ

    ومن لدنه الدُرُّ والجوهر

    the stringing alone comes from them,

    while the pearls and gems come from you.